FOXBORO — The Patriots are a team light on talent, and they’re still having a hard time keeping their rookies on the field.

It’s much too early to judge a draft class, but nine games, in the Patriots’ 2024 picks — outside of quarterback Drake Maye, of course, have been underwhelming.

The Patriots’ front office, led by executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, should be praised for staying put and not trading out from No. 3 overall to take Maye, who has been one of the team’s lone bright spots through nine weeks. But there’s a case to be made that their next-best rookie has been an undrafted free agent.

Let’s go pick-by-pick to see where the Patriots’ rookies currently stand halfway through the season.

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QB Drake Maye

Maye has looked like a stud through four starts. He’s completing 65.6% of his passes for 770 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions, and he’s already third on the team in rushing with 209 yards on 21 scrambles with a touchdown.

Maye’s play of the year so far was an 11.8-second scramble drill in the red zone to find running back Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone on a touchdown that sent Week 9’s loss to the Titans into overtime.

The No. 3 overall pick is still experiencing some rookie mistakes, but defensive tackle Davon Godchaux accurately described him as “Josh Allen 2.0” after Sunday’s loss. And Godchaux aptly said that Maye is outperforming Allen with the Bills QB was a rookie in 2018.

WR Ja’Lynn Polk

Polk has caught just 37% of his targets this season for 78 yards and a touchdown with three drops. He started Weeks 2 through 6 before drops caught up to him. He suffered a concussion in Week 7, was out Week 8 and then played just nine snaps in his return Sunday against the Titans. He was penalized twice, targeted once and didn’t come away with a catch.

Head coach Jerod Mayo believes Polk is over a mental hump.

” Look, he has to go out there today, practice hard and perform, and he’ll get opportunities based on what he does in the week of practice,” Mayo said.

The Patriots have one of the NFL’s least productive wide receiver rooms, and Polk currently can’t find playing time over Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne.

OT Caedan Wallace

Wallace played 70 total offensive snaps before suffering an ankle injury in Week 4. He’s been on injured reserve ever since and isn’t expected back this week.

The third-round pick out of Penn State started just one game, in which he played left tackle against the Jets. He’s a prime candidate to start at right tackle, where Demontrey Jacobs and Mike Onwenu have been filling in, if and when he returns from the ankle injury.

Wallace allowed one sack, one QB hit and one pressure in 31 pass-blocking snaps while playing left tackle and jumbo tight end.

G Layden Robinson

Robinson began the season as a starter but was benched in Week 5. He started Week 7 but left with an ankle injury. He started Week 9 but was benched.

The Patriots do seem to love Robinson and are intent on giving him playing time. It would not be a surprise if he was back at right guard again this week against the Bears.

“I go back to my own rookie experience when, I think it was San Francisco, where — and I ended up being defensive rookie of the year — but I was benched on third down back against San Francisco,” Mayo said of Polk and Robinson getting benched this year. “Sometimes those — I don’t want to call them breathers, but those types of situations help you propel forward, and hopefully those guys look at it that way.”

WR Javon Baker

Baker has played just 10 offensive snaps all season and has yet to record his first NFL catch. He does have one kick return for 17 yards.

The fourth-round pick has appeared in just four games this season. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said this season that Baker was still having issues with where to align and what routes to run.

It’s an indictment on Baker’s progress that he can’t find consistent playing team in this offense.

CB Marcellas Dial

The sixth-round pick struggled in coverage over the summer and has been on the field for just three defensive snaps this season.

He’s second on the team with 198 special teams snaps and third with four special teams tackles.

QB Joe Milton III

Milton has, as expected, served as the Patriots’ emergency third quarterback in every game this season. He earned practice player of the week honors after the Week 8 win over the Jets for imitating quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

TE Jaheim Bell

The seventh-round pick has played just 19 offensive snaps and recorded his first career catch — a 1-yarder — on Sunday against the Titans. It’s hard to find playing time behind Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, and Bell was expected to sit until he developed. He’s played 55 snaps on special teams in six games.

S Dell Pettus

Pettus has been thrust into significant defensive playing time with Jabrill Peppers on the commissioner’s exempt list and Kyle Dugger dealing with a nagging ankle injury. And he hasn’t looked out of place.

Pettus ranks second among qualified rookie safeties in PFF defensive grade. He’s let up three catches on four targets for 24 yards with no missed tackles while playing free and strong safety.

LB Curtis Jacobs

Jacobs was claimed off waivers from the Cheifs in late August. The undrafted free agent out of Penn State has played just 13 defensive snaps and 109 on special teams, where he’s registered one tackle.